United might not have been the first one to introduce in-flight WiFi, but they are trying to lead the way with faster speeds and better tray table connectivity. Just the other day they flipped the switch on some of this technology, so your next flight just might be that much better.

The newest United technology kind of takes a page from what JetBlue has been doing, as the bits and pieces of up in the air technology rely on ViaSat-1 satellite stuff. That means way faster speeds, and a lot more in-flight streaming of Netflix and Hulu—at least in theory.

Even with all the bells, whistles, and other accessories to check out aboard an Airbus A380 there’s always the chance for a little bit of boredom—especially on a long-haul flight. Thankfully Thai Airways is aware of our limited attention span, and they just flipped the switch on their in-flight connectivity.

In-flight WiFi is now an option on some of the carrier’s long distance journeys, as their A380 fleet is now equipped with the ability to access the internet in all its social media glory. Joining the A380s with the new technology are also some of the carrier’s A330 fleet, as the necessary bits and pieces needed for this kind of connectivity should be good-to-go on these planes as well.

Good news for those flying the friendly skies in and around Canada, as it’s time for one of the country’s carriers to add a little in-flight connectivity to its menu of amenities. WestJet is now ready to flip the switch on in-flight WiFi, so be sure your tray table is in the locked position and that your gadgets are fully charged.

Panasonic must have put together a good PowerPoint presentation, as they’re the ones that will bring the wires and transmitters to the WestJet fleet. They will bring the new in-flight entertainment, and their new system will actually also replace the existing seatback screens on plenty of the planes.

It’s time for some WiFi news, as another international carrier is jumping on the in-flight connectivity bandwagon. This week it’s Air India that’s getting ready to install wires, switches, and antennas in hopes of keeping passengers happy and logged on during their time up in the air.

Details are kind of limited at this point, but the carrier has announced that WiFi is coming to both their big planes and little planes—on both domestic and international journeys. Right now they’re still reviewing PowerPoint presentations and other sales pitches, but it does sound like Thales is just one of the companies in the running to install the WiFi bits and pieces.

It seems like only yesterday that JetBlue was flipping the switch to finally inaugurate their Fly-Fi in-flight internet, but in reality a few months have passed and, with them, more aircraft with the super fast in-flight WiFi are taking off on tarmacs.

The airline now has nine Airbus A320s hooked up with Fly-Fi, and they've released a handy-dandy updated list of Fly-Fi routes those aircraft will operate. It's a growing list, with nearly 35 daily flights able to go about their internet business as usual from 35,000'.

Access to Fly-Fi is still free at the basic level. To see if it's worth your time and how the system compares to other airline's in-flight WiFi, check out our hands-on review of the system.

For those who have been waiting for even more up in the air connectivity in Canada, the wait is now over. Gogo has been busy at work running wires, writing code, checking settings, and doing all the behinds the scenes stuff to get things ready to go. It now looks like they have flipped the switch to go live, as they just announced that the first phase of their Canadian WiFi network is now open for business.

Things are very similar to the connectivity down in the nifty fifty, but in Canada they are pairing some of their original air-to-ground technology with some next generation stuff. There’s even some hybrid and satellite technology solutions, and these ground-to-orbit goodies can offer up peak speeds of more than 70 Mbps. Let’s just say Gogo is pretty darn happy with themselves right now, and we think rightfully so.

We already knew that Southwest Airlines was all about up-in-the-air text messaging, and now it looks like another major carrier is flipping the switch on a different type of WiFi connectivity. Delta has done the WiFi thing from like the very beginning, but now they are looking to try something a little bit different and with a cheaper price tag.

The carrier is quick to remind everyone that Delta Connect and Gogo are available on equipped flights within the continental US and spots up in Alaska, but what is new is the ability to connect with family, friends, and colleagues beginning at just $2 per flight.

Aeromexico is getting in on the giving spirit of the holidays in their own little way, as they’re teaming up with Gogo to bring advanced in-flight connection to their flyers.

Gogo Vision is coming to at least 75 new airplanes and aircraft, and the new service will make use of Gogo's Ku-band satellite service for the planes getting the connectivity. It will take some time to install for the carrier’s fleet of Boeing 737s, but they already have a goal in mind. It sounds like in-flight WiFi as well as Gogo Vision should be good to go during the second half of 2014.

Sure, we love all the speed and comfort of modern travel, but it didn't that way overnight. Every Thursday, we're going to take a look back at travel the way it used to be, whether that's decades or centuries ago. This is Throwback Thursday, travel edition.

The era of fast in-flight WiFi is finally here, but remnants of its predecessors in travel communication technology still lurk about mothballed corners, like boxes of old postcards.

Here we have a postcard from the late 1910s, depicting a wireless station that was the pride of Fort Myer, Virginia. The reverse doesn't skimp on the details of the $250,000 construction:

If you're taking to the skies any time in the next few days, there's a good chance that you can while away the hours with your laptop or mobile device. Thanks to the folks over at Gogo and Charmin (yeah, the toilet paper people), flyers can access Facebook for free during the busy holiday travel season.

Starting today and running through December 30th on seven airlines, Charmin will open the social media browsing session for free. "Like" friend's updates, post photos of their in-flight snack, and check out their 2013 year-in-review status update. Just be cautious because, if you start clicking on external links, you will be asked for your credit card details to fork over some cash for full access.

The way in which Southwest Airlines does the in-flight WiFi thing means that the internet waves can operate from gate to gate. That’s pretty slick, as it sets them apart from competition. Things are about to get even better, as the carrier just announced that some in-flight messaging will be arriving soon to an airline seat near you.

Those who prefer the flavor of Apple when it comes to their mobile device are welcome to utilize the iMessage feature on their iPod, iPhone, or iPad. Users with iOS 5 or later can now keep things powered up, switched on, and stay connected.